The new Animal Protection bill includes the obligation to take a course before having a dog, the prohibition of leaving it alone for more than 24 hours and the list of dangerous dogs is eliminated, among other regulations.
The Spanish government has released its draft law on the Protection and Rights of animals, which includes various improvements that will shield animals, protecting them and putting an end to some dubious practices that some were carrying out with them.
Ione Belarra, Minister of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda, has presented this bill for animal welfare, appealing to the fact that there is great sensitivity towards animals and that society considers them as members of their families; however, she has also pointed out that there are still some practices that can go against these pets and that are intended to be regulated and prohibited with the new set of rules, among which are:
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Training course to have a dog: those who want to have a dog at home will have to pass a test whose content will be determined by regulation.
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Maximum five pets: this will be the maximum number of pets per house, and if you want to have more, you will have to register as zoological nuclei. If this number is exceeded at the present time and after the approval of the law, nothing happens, simply no more can be included.
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Less than 24 hours alone: ​​pets cannot be left alone for more than three consecutive days, and in the case of dogs, that time cannot exceed 24 hours.
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Controlled breeding: Breeding will be allowed only to registered professionals and the number of litters will be limited based on the needs of zoological centers and establishments. Breeding will be prohibited in cases of 25% consanguinity between animals, or when there are genetic diseases.
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Prohibition of breeding non-native species, including in the case of zoos, which will no longer be able to buy animals, especially large mammals and cetaceans. Regarding non-native animals, the regulation also indicates the preparation of a list of pets, which will indicate which animals can be bought and sold outside the country based on three conditions: that they are not a public health problem, that they are not a public security problem –so poisonous ones will not be allowed–, and that they are not an environmental problem –it will not allow the current exotic invaders either–.
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Pet stores prohibited: animals may not be sold in stores, animal sanctuaries and feline colonies will be regulated, and the breeding of animals for fur or pigeon shooting is prohibited.
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Deregistration of Potentially Dangerous Dogs: this registration ends; up to 40,000 dogs of 8 different breeds could benefit from this legal modification: Rottweiler, Staffordshire bull terrier, American staffordshire terrier, Dogo Argentino, Akita inu, Fila brazilian, Tosa Inu and Pit bull terrier. The figure could rise to about 100,000 copies if other regional regulations are followed that would include dogs of up to 8 other breeds: Boxer, Doberman Pinscher, Presa Canario, Bullmastiff, Dogue de Bordeaux, Dogue del Tibet, Neapolitan Mastiff and Presa Mallorcan. However, it seems that another type of control will be established over these animals, and instead of their race they will be evaluated by their behavior
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Regulation of the sacrifice: the sacrifice will only be allowed in exceptions linked to euthanasia situations that will be contemplated. The option of someone sacrificing an animal due to center saturation or behavior will not be given.
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Conditions in the use of animals: in horseback riding, pilgrimages or other similar acts, the temperature, age, and other aspects related to animal welfare will be limited, and in case of non-compliance the animal will not be able to carry out the task.
Sanctions of the new bill
These are some of the new regulations that are expected to reach the Council of Ministers in November. As of that date, the text will go through processing by government agencies and then parliamentary. From the Executive they believe that it could enter into force before the year 2023.
The fines that will be imposed for not complying with this law range between 600 and 600,000 euros
In the recently released draft document, a section on sanctions has been included, in which three different types are distinguished: minor, serious and very serious. In the case of minor infractions, the fines will range between 600 and 30,000 euros; in serious cases, between 30,001 and 100,000 euros, and in very serious cases, from 100,001 to 600,000 euros.
In addition, as accessory sanctions, there is the possibility of disqualifying the owner for the possession of any animal for a maximum period of five years for serious infractions, and from five to ten years for very serious ones.
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